The View Co-Host Sunny Hostin Criticized for Comparing Jan. 6 Riot to Holocaust and Slavery “Deeply Disturbing”

Sunny Hostin, co-host of The View, faced widespread criticism on Monday for equating the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot to historical atrocities like the Holocaust and slavery. Her comments, made during a segment marking the four-year anniversary of the event, sparked intense backlash across political and social platforms.

“We need moral clarity in this country,” Hostin remarked while reflecting on the violent attempt by supporters of then-President Donald Trump to disrupt the certification of Joe Biden’s 2020 election victory. Hostin, 56, expressed frustration over what she perceives as waning outrage toward the event, which she labeled a pivotal moment in U.S. history.

“I recall Mitch McConnell placing the blame squarely on Donald Trump’s shoulders immediately after January 6,” Hostin said. “But then people started to backtrack, losing their moral center. This erosion of accountability is deeply concerning.”

Hostin further criticized efforts to “move on” from the Capitol riot, referencing former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s earlier remarks on The View. She declared, “No, you don’t just move on. January 6 was an atrocity. It was one of the darkest days in American history.”

However, her comparison of the Capitol riot to the Holocaust—a genocide that claimed the lives of over six million Jews—and to slavery, which dehumanized generations of African Americans, drew immediate backlash.

“When you consider the worst moments in history—like World War II, the Holocaust, and chattel slavery—we must never forget,” Hostin argued. “Erasing such events leads us down a dangerous path where history repeats itself.”

Stop Antisemitism, a nonprofit advocacy group, condemned Hostin’s remarks as “nauseating,” emphasizing the incomparability of the Holocaust’s atrocities to a riot. “Over six million Jews were massacred during the Holocaust. Comparing this to a riot trivializes one of history’s gravest tragedies,” the group tweeted.

Public reaction on social media was similarly scathing, with some users demanding Hostin’s dismissal from ABC. Her comparison was described as “deranged” and “breathtakingly offensive.” Following the backlash, Hostin deactivated her X (formerly Twitter) account, intensifying the ongoing debate around her controversial remarks.